Treatment of cellulosic materials



Patented Feb. 12, 1946 TREATMENT OF CELLULOSIC MATERIALS Henry Dreyfus, London, England; Claude Bonard administrator ceased of said Henry Dreyfus, de-

No Drawing. Application June 13, 1942, Serial No. 446,931. In Great Britain March 10, 1941 14 Claims. (Cl. 8-1162) This invention is concerned with improvements in the treatment of cellulosic materials.

I have discovered that the properties of cellulosic materials may be improved in various respects by reacting them with carbylamines. For example the waterproof properties of the materials may be improved considerably by reacting them with carbylamines containing hydrophobe radicles, particularly alkyl carbylamines in which the alkyl radicle contains a considerable number of carbon atoms, for example 10, 15 or more. Again, the resistance to creasing of the materials and in the case of cellulose acetate and similar materials their safe-ironing point may be increased by reacting them with compounds containing at least two carbylamine radicles. An improvement in their water-resistance may also be achieved if the poly-carbylamines employed contain 'hydrophobe radicles such as those referred to above.

The production of the carbylamines may be effected as described in U. S. applications S. Nos. 434,063 and 434,064, filed March 10, 1942, and now, respectively, Patents Nos. 2,342,794 and 2,347,772, corresponding to my British applications Nos. 3,205/41 and 3,207/41, filed March 10, 1941, by reacting a monoor poly-amine with chloroform in the presence of caurtic potash or other caustic alkali, preferably under reflux For example, dodecyl-tridecyland octadecylcarbylamines may be produced from the corresponding amines and ethylene, propylene and hexamethylene dicarbylamines from ethylene, propylene and hexamethylene diamine respectively.

The treatment may be effected by subjecting the materials to the action of carbylamine vapour, e. g. at 110-140 C. for 2 to 6 hours, or by refluxing the materials in a solution of the carbylamine in, e. g., tetralin, decalin or other high boiling liquid for 2 to 6 hours at 180-200 C. Preferably, however, the material is impregnated, for example by padding, with a suitable proportion of the carbylamine, usually about 10 to 20% of its weight, and the impregated material is then heated at a temperature'of about 100 to 120 or 140 for example for 30 minutes or 1 or 2 hours, or even at somewhat higher temperatures for shorter periods. The treated material is then scoured, washed and dried. The padding solution may, for example, consist of a 20 or 30% solution of the carbylamine in benzene, toluene,

ether or acetone, and the degree of expression may be such that the material retains 50-70% of its weight of liquor.

The process is applicable to the treatment of staple fibres of cotton, linen, regenerated cellulose or other cellulosic material or of cellulose acetate or other cellulose derivative containing free hydroxy groups in an unspun state and to the treatment of yarns made of continuous filaments or of staple fibres either in hank form or after they have been converted into fabrics. The

waterproofing process is of particular value in the treatment of articles which during use are exposed to damp or wet conditions, which as is well- I known have a detrimental effect, on-the tenacity of cellulosic materials in general. Articles of this character are ropes and cords intended for use as shrouds for parachutes or in the manufacture of fishing-nets and fabrics intended for the manufacture of parachutes, sails and tents. The treatment for increasing the crease-resistance and safe ironing point of articles is of value, for example, in connection with fabrics, particularly cellulose derivative fabrics, intended for dress-materials, shirting materials and loose covers.

The following examples are given to illustrate the present invention:

Example 1 A fabric made of a high tenacity cellulosic yarn, obtained by stretching cellulose acetate yarn to about 10 times its length in wet steam and then completely saponifying it, is immersed for about 10 minutes at 20 C. in a 20% solution in benzene of octadecyl carbylamine. The fabric is then removed, pressed until it retains about of its own weight of liquor and heated at 110 C. for hour in an oven. It is then well scoured in a solution containing 2 grams of soap per litre at 60 0., washed and dried. After padding and expressing the fabric may, if desired, be dried at a relatively low temperature before'heating at C.

Example 2 losic materials, which comprises reacting the materials with an aliphatic hydrocarbon carbylamine containing at least four carbon atoms.

tile materials comprising an organic derivative of cellulose containing free hydroxyl groups, which comprises reacting the materials with an alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least 10 carbon atoms.

5. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising regenerated cellulose, which comprises reacting the materials with an alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least carbon atoms.

6. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising cellulose aceate containing free hydroxyl groups, which comprises reacting the materials with an alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least 15 carbon atoms.

'7.- Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising regenerated cellulose, which comprises reacting the materials with an alkylene dicarbylamine.

8. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising an organic derivative of cellulose containing free hydroxyl groups, which comprises reacting the materials with an alkylene dicarbylamine.

9. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising regenerated cellulose,

which comprises padding the materials with a' solution of an ,alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least 10 carbon atoms,

and then subjecting the materials to the action of heat.

10. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising cellulose acetate containing free hydroxyl groups, which comprises padding the materials with a solution of an alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least 10 carbon atoms, and then subjecting the materials to the action of heat.

11. Process for improving the properties of textile materials comprising regenerated cellulose, which comprises padding the materials with a solution of an alkyl carbylamine in which the alkyl radicle contains at least 10 carbon atoms, and then heating the materials to a temperature between and C. for between thirty minutes and two hours.

12. Process for improving the properties of which comprises padding the materials with a solution of an octadecyl-carbylamine, and then heating the materials toa temperature between 100 and 140 C. for between thirty minutes and two hours. 14. Process for improvingiathe properties of textile materials comprising cellulose acetate containing free hydroxyl groups, which comprises padding the materials with a solution of an octadecyl-carbylamine, and then heating the materials to a temperature between 100 and 140 C. for between thirty minutes and two hours.

' HENRY DREYFUS. 

